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Word Up welcomes acclaimed author Esmeralda Santiago in conversation with Luis Miranda Jr. and Quiara Alegría Hudes to discuss their memoirs on identity and the transition to New York. New editions of Santiago’s critically acclaimed memoirs are now available with new forewords from Jaquira Diaz, Julia Alvarez, Lilliam Rivera, and Francisco Goldman.

This event is a $10 suggested donation ticket with 100 max attendees. Please register in advance.

In compliance with Word Up Community Safety guidelines, all attendees are encouraged to stay masked at all time.

Recirculation, a project of Word Up Community Bookshop, is located at 876 Riverside Drive (near 160th St.) in Washington Heights, NYC. You can take the 1 train to 157th St., A/C train to 163rd St., and the M4 and M5 to Broadway and 159/160th.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Esmeralda Santiago is the eldest of eleven children. She came to the United States from rural Puerto Rico at age thirteen. Her family settled in Brooklyn, where she had to learn English and brave her way through an oppressive urban environment, a cold climate, and a challenging new culture. Her transcultural experiences growing up impoverished and disenfranchised inspires her writing and forms the backbone of three celebrated memoirs (WHEN I WAS PUERTO RICAN, ALMOST A WOMAN, THE TURKISH LOVER), three bestselling novels (AMÉRICA’S DREAM, CONQUISTADORA, LAS MADRES) as well as two Latine anthologies, numerous essays, a children’s book and the screenplay for a Peabody Award winning film. She lives in Northern Westchester, NY.

LUIS A. MIRANDA JR. arrived in New York City from Puerto Rico in 1974 to study psychology at NYU but soon found himself drawn to community action when he organized his neighbors to fight for better schools for their children. In the 1980s he was a special advisor for Hispanic Affairs to Mayor Ed Koch, and he continued to serve in key roles for the Dinkins and Giuliani administrations. As a founding partner of the MirRam Group, Miranda has consulted on several successful political campaigns, including the senatorial campaigns of Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton, Senator Chuck Schumer, and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. Most recently he managed New York Attorney General Letitia James’ successful reelection. Miranda is the founding president of the Hispanic Federation and is currently the chairperson of the Latino Victory Fund, the Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance, Viva Broadway, and the Public Theater. He is a board member of The City, and former chair of the Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies at the CUNY Graduate Center.